Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets in their Australian Open semifinal yesterday to end the defending champion's record run of 10 straight appearances in Grand Slam tennis finals.

No. 3 seed Djokovic, who lost last year's U.S. Open final to Federer, completed a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory at Melbourne Park and will face unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tomorrow.

``It's amazing,'' Djokovic said in a courtside interview. ``It's an indescribable feeling to beat the No. 1 player and one of the best this court has seen in straight sets.''

The 20-year-old Djokovic handed Federer a first defeat in 35 semifinals to join Ana Ivanovic in seeking to become the first Grand Slam champion from Serbia. Ivanovic faces Maria Sharapova in today's women's final.

Djokovic dominated Federer from the baseline to maintain his record of not dropping a set at Melbourne Park this year. It was Federer's first straight-set loss in 102 Grand Slam matches, the last coming at the 2004 French Open.

``There's no doubt I've played better in my life, that's for sure,'' Federer told reporters. ``He didn't give me much. It can't always go your way.''

Federer, 26, has 12 Grand Slam titles, two shy of Pete Sampras's men's record, and was bidding this year to join Jack Crawford and Roy Emerson as the only men to win three straight Australian Opens. No other men's player has appeared in more than seven straight major finals.

Chest Pumping

Federer saved early break points in the match and broke for a 4-3 lead after a rally in which both players clipped the top of the net. The next two games went with serve before Federer put three forehands into the net to hand his opponent a break.

Djokovic, playing in his fourth consecutive major semifinal, won the next two games to take the first set as Federer committed his 13th and 14th unforced errors under pressure from his opponent's ground strokes. Federer said his failure to close out the set probably cost him the match.

A running backhand pass from Djokovic that clipped the line secured him a 3-1 advantage in the second set and the Serb pumped his chest with his fist five times in celebration. He broke again for a 5-1 lead before Federer won the next two games to make him serve out the set.

Tsonga

Trailing 0-40, Djokovic won five straight points to tie the third set at 1-1 and then squandered four chances to break for a 2-1 lead. Federer conjured two set points in the 11th game only for Djokovic to force the tiebreaker with an 88-mile-per-hour forehand winner, an ace and one of his 19 winning volleys.

Federer, who won just two of his nine break points, surrendered a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker with two loose forehands. Djokovic served his way to match point, which he secured at the first attempt when Federer made his 32nd unforced error by slamming a forehand into the net.

France's Tsonga upset No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal two days ago. It will be his first Grand Slam final and the only one without Federer since the 2005 French Open.

``It's great to see some new players,'' Djokovic said. ``Tsonga's been playing some amazing tennis.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes at Melbourne Park at dbaynes@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 25, 2008 09:30 EST